Sealed housing for x-ray tubes



Sept. 26, 1944. E. R. GOLDFIELD ETAL 2,359,030

SEALED HOUSING FOR X-RAY TUBES Filed Nov 2; 1942 INVENTORS EDWIN A. GOLDF/ELD EDWARD B. GRAVEs r fl d M W TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 26, 1 944 UNI PAT E N T O F F I C E 2,359,030 r 4 SEALED irotsise FOR x-nAY TUBES Edwin It. Goldfield, University Heights, and Edward B. Graves, South Euclid, .0hio,.assignors' to .Picker X R'ayCorporation Waite ManufacturingDivision, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation-of Ohio Applicatidii sweater 2, 1942, Serial No.'464,1.64

whims. ((1250-49) user.

Qneof the objects of tnepieseht'iiivenuo is toclose the normally open end of a tube housing. b y no vel means which provides a very good seal against the loss ofoil or other fluid from the housing. p U

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel means for closing the X-ray tube housing in amore or less permanent manner so that it is diflicult if not almost impossible for-the ordinary user to obtain access to the housing, but instead" the equipment must be sent back to the manufacturer for repairs. This insuresbetter care and expert maintenance of the equipment involved.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the; accompanying description and drawing and the essential features will be 'summari'zed'in the claims. i In the drawing, Fig. 1 isa side elevational view of a tube housing equipped with our proved joint and sealing means, with 'a ;portion thereof being broken away to more clearly illus- .trate the location or the; improved 'c'onstruc tion; Figs'.2 and 3 are enlarged fragment'al sectional views taken approximatel along the line 33 of Fig, 1, Fig. 2 showing the parts of the improved joint asassembled and before the bending of the sealing ring into final position; Fig. 3 shows the position of thfe parts afterthe clamping and sealing operation is completed. I

We have illustrated our-invention asapplied to an X-ray tube housing of thegeneral character shown in Patent No. 2,259,037, granted October 14, 1941,"to Edward B. Graves. It will be eventing easy access to the housing by the understoodby those skilled in this art that such tion [5. This'has no connection, however, with the present invention. I H i 7 As will be noticed from the various views, the housing Ill-is open at the end Illa and generally at the opposite end also so that the tube 1 I may be inserted into the main housing or removed therefrom through the open end. Itis desirable, however, that such maintenance Work on the X-ray tube be done by the manufacturer only and therefore one of the objects of the. present invention i to so close the open end of the main housing that it will be difficult or almost impossible for the average user to open the housing, but instead the same must be returned to the manufacturer for repairs to the tube. A

At the open. end Illa, the main housing is of generally cylindrical form and is provided with a flange Illb extending radially outwardly. The end of the housing is closed by a closure member I6 having a cylindrical wall l6a lying within the open end I00, of the main housing 10; Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be notedithatthe closure member is-provided with a flange of special form. This flange is bent outwardly at I61); then bent back and away from the end of the closure member 'along the portion IGc which is generally parallel to the cylindrical housing Ill and to the cylindrical wall Ilia of the closure member. .The flange is finally bent radially outwardly at Hid providing 'a flange generally parallel to the flange IOb. In assembling these parts an annular gasket ll of plastically deformable sealing material is placed between the flanges Illb and Hid so as to seal the joint between the main housin and the closure member.

The clamping means for holding the flanges lllb and ltd together comprises an annular ring l8 of a, substantiallyrigid material which is deformable under heavy pressure, such 'as steel of the order of inch thick. This sealing ring isp'r'ovide'd'with two clamping flanges 18d and The parts are assembled in the position of Fig. 2, with the flange l8b providing a cup-shaped formation opening toward the main housing II]. The flange I8?) is then spun or pressed radially inwardly to the position of Fig. 3 under a pressure preferably of the order of thirty to fifty tons. This secures the flanges lllb and Mid together in a substantially permanent relation un-' der heavy pressure. If suitable gasket material such as Neoprene is used for the gasket I'I, it is deformed as indicated at Ila in Fig. 3 so as to fill all the interstices of the joint between the flanges lllb and lGd. It will be noted that the flange portion lfic lies very close to the end of the main housing ill at the point l9, thus providing a close sliding fit at this point. When the parts are squeezed together as shown in Fig. 3 the gasket material flows up to this restricted point I9 and is held against easy dissipation in this direction so as to compel the gasket material to completely seal all space between the flanges "la and [8b. Preferably the sealing'ring l8 fulfills-a second purpose. It will be noted that this sealing ring is provided with an annular shoulder l-8c which provides a bearing for a ring shaped hanger member 20. There is one of these at each end of the tube housing to support the tube for rotative movement about the longitudinal axis of the generally cylindrical housing Hip To hold these parts in position a finishing cap 2| is secured to the closure member 16 by the screws 22; This cap has a flange 21a which lies n the side of hanger member 20 opposite the flange 18a so that the hanger member and housing are held against any substantial relative endwise movement. It, will be noted that the radially outermost face Hie of the flange I 611 is knurled or otherwise roughened so that when the sealing ring 1.8 ',is clamped thereagainst the parts are held against any relative turning movement which might occur as the housing is rotated in the hanger members 20. .7

In actual use the housing is sealed up asindicated in Figs. 1 and 3 by the manufacturer and if at anytime during the use of the equipment repairs inside the housing are necessary, it is sent. back to the manufacturer who utilizes a special slitting machine to cut through the sealing ring I 8 between the flanges Illa and lb so as to permit the separation of the joint and the removal of the closure member l6. Since a special tool is necessary for this operation it is unlikelythat a customer will attemptto gain acc'essto the housing lll'to make his own repairs. This is very desirable inasmuch as skilled labor is necessary for the repair and maintenance of thistype ofequipment and a proper sealing of the ends of the main housing is always assured.

What'we claim is z" '1. An 'X-ray tube housing construction comprising'a main housing member of generally cylindrical form and open at one end, a closure member for said open end of generally cylindri- V cal form, one of said members lying Within the other and'being of sheet form having a flange bent outwardly and back upon itself at the end able sealing material between said parallel flanges, and a ring embracing said parallel flanges and bent down upon them sufliciently to compress said gasket into said joint outside 0 said contacting portions. 2. An X-ray tube housing construction comprising a main housing member or generally cylindrical form and open at one end, a closure member for said open end of generally cylindrical form, one of said members lying within the other and having a flange bent outwardly and thenback and away from the end and then bent again radially outwardly, the other of said members having a flange bent radially outwardly generally. parallel to said first named radially outwardly extending flange, said bent back portion of said one flange of one member lying close to the main portion of the other member and providing substantially contacting portions there, an annular gasket of plastically deformable sealing material between said parallel flanges, and a ring embracing said parallel flanges and bent down upon them sufficiently to compress said gasket into said joint outside of said contacting portions, said ring having an annular shoulder providing a bearing, and a housing hanger member engaging said shoulder. I

3. An X-ray tube housing construction comprising a main housing member having an open end through which said tube is removable, said open end, of said housing having a cylindrical wall portion, a hollow shell of substantially the diameter of said wall portion and adapted to close said open end, said shell having a. cylindriand then bent radially outwardly the other of.

said membershaving a' flange bent radially outwardly generally parallel to said first namedradially outwardly extending flange, said bent back portion of said one flange of one member lying close to the main portion of the other member and providing substantially contacting portions there, an annular gasket of plastically deformcal wall portion having a sliding fit with said cylindrical wall portion of said'housing, both of said wall portions having flanges turned radially outwardly, said flanges starting in common from'thezone of said sliding fit and then separating to provide a'space between them, sealing material in said space, and a ring embracing said flanges. and clamping material.

4; An X-raytube housing construction comprising a main housing member having an open end through which said tube is removable, said open end "of said housinghavinga cylindrical wall portion, a sheet metal shell member having a cylindrical wall portion in sliding fit with said cylindrical wall portion of said housing, both of said wall portions having flanges turned radially outwardly, said flanges starting in common from the zone of. said sliding fit and then separating to provide a space between them, sealing material in said space, a sheet metal ring member embracing said flanges and clamping them against said sealing material, one of said sheet metal members being formed to provide an annular shoulder for a bearing, and a housing hanger member engaging said shoulder.

them against said sealing 

